Chapter 7 At the gatekeeper's question as he stood guard at the Namgung Clan's main gate, Seol-yeong replied with practiced ease.
"Young Lady Namgung Soyo has arrived, so inform the Gaju of this at once."
"Hm. Young Lady Namgung Soyo's carriage? Strange. The Young Lady was meant to return under our clan's escort. Why is there not a single escort warrior in sight?"
Even hearing it casually, the tone was thick with wariness. Seol-yeong gave an exaggerated cough, then raised his voice loudly as if to ensure everyone heard.
"You ask where all the great Namgung Clan's escort warriors have gone? I will answer you. They are all dead! Because on the road here, our Young Lady Namgung Soyo was attacked by assassins!"
At his forceful shout, not only the gatekeeper but even passersby along the street startled and fell silent.
People of all ages stole glances at the worn carriage stopped before the Namgung Clan's gate and whispered.
"Assassins? He just said the Namgung Clan's escort warriors were all killed in an assassin attack?"
"Who's in that carriage that they had the clan's escort attached to them?"
"I don't know either. I heard she's a Namgung daughter, but… Huh. Did Namgung even have a daughter?"
Seol-yeong puffed out his chest and shouted at the gatekeeper.
"If you understand, then open the gate! Young Lady Namgung Soyo suffered a deep wound when an assassin's blade grazed her. She must be treated immediately!"
"Y-yes, yes! I understand, so lower your voice and wait. I'll report this to the Sogaju (Clan Heir) at once!"
Thanks to the commotion he had stirred up, the clan gate opened easily. But Yeo Il, listening to the uproar outside, fell into thought.
Even after hearing she faced an assassination threat, they only tell her to wait.
No matter how illegitimate she was, was that something to say to a daughter of a prestigious clan? And reporting not to the Gaju but to the Sogaju (Clan Heir)—what kind of cold treatment was that?
Not long after, the gatekeeper returned and said,
"The Sogaju (Clan Heir)'s message is to bring Young Lady Namgung Soyo inside."
After the Namgung Clan's gate slowly opened, Yeo Il gave a slight look. Chang-a nodded firmly, as if to say she trusted her, and took her hand. Then, in a voice nearly as loud as Seol-yeong's, she called out,
"Our Young Lady cannot see. Therefore, I ask the clan's servants and guard warriors to refrain from threatening noises!"
"A Namgung daughter is blind?"
"How pitiful."
With those sighs, even more people gathered.
With Chang-a's help, Yeo Il stepped down and placed her feet on the ground, her eyes gently closed. Those who caught sight of her face from not far away let out exclamations as large as their earlier sighs.
"It is flat ground without obstacles, Young Lady. You may walk at ease."
"Thank you."
When she smiled softly while leaning on Chang-a's support, a clan servant reddened and bowed his head deeply. A small sigh fell behind Yeo Il.
"I didn't know Namgung Soyo was blind. For a while, it'll be just me and Chang-a running around, won't it."
Seol-yeong was right. Namgung Soyo was, in truth, blind—she had lost both eyes in an accident as an infant.
It was something Yeo Il had never expected, even on the day she saved Chang-a. Because of it, Yeo Il had to keep her eyes closed and accept support in order to walk an unfamiliar path.
"Pity is also the easiest goodwill to obtain, so it's not a bad thing."
"Yes, yes. Nothing is bad for you, Young Lady."
Just then, an irritable voice sounded eight steps ahead.
"Did you just say assassins?"
"Yes, young master. The warriors who went to escort Young Lady Namgung Soyo were struck down by assassins—"
"Hah! What a shameful death under heaven is this? Not some nameless, skill-less scrap of a wandering swordsman, but our Namgung Clan's warriors were wiped out by mere assassins? No, I can't believe it. It makes no sense. Who in the world is spouting such nonsense?"
The terrified servant pointed toward Soyo, who was walking in their direction.
Then a boy who looked no older than eighteen strode up and glared at Soyo as he demanded,
"Listen. I am Namgung Hui-myeong, the legitimate son of the Namgung Clan and the third young master. Are you the Namgung Soyo who was supposed to arrive yesterday? If so, is the reason you're a day late truly because you faced an assassination threat?"
Namgung Hui-myeong of the Namgung Clan.
Hearing the familiar name, Yeo Il quickly reviewed the information Chang-a had told her.
[The Gaju has three sons, and among them, the third—Namgung Hui-myeong—has the fiercest personality and the fiercest sword. He's arrogant and makes people uncomfortable… and they say he's immature.]
From the suspicion and distrust packed into his voice, it was obvious he would be a nuisance going forward. Instead of answering, Yeo Il simply kept her mouth shut.
"Are you ignoring me? Why aren't you answering?"
Even after the next demand, she kept her mouth shut.
"Are you deaf? I'll ask again. Are you late because you were threatened by assassins, because the escort warriors were wiped out?"
Even after that demand, she kept her mouth shut—
"This is infuriating… If you have a mouth, answer me, Namgung Soyo!"
At last, a roar exploded right in front of her, and Yeo Il, as if she had been waiting for it, stumbled backward and fell hard onto her backside. The other party's eyes widened in shock.
"Y-young Lady! Young Lady! Are you all right, Young Lady?"
"…I'm fine, Chang-a. I was just startled."
"Y-Young Lady Soyo cannot see, and she has already suffered a serious wound on the way here! How can you treat her so roughly? Are the Namgung Clan's people all like this?"
At Chang-a's rebuke, Namgung Hui-myeong's face flushed red like an apple.
"What? You're just a maid—how dare you spout nonsense, you brat! When did I ever treat her rough—!"
That was when—
"What is going on all of a sudden?"
A young man, dressed as finely as Namgung Hui-myeong, slipped in between them.
Slightly shorter than the Namgung Clan's third son, with a gentle face, the young man clicked his tongue and scolded Namgung Hui-myeong.
"Third. Were you bullying Soyo? Soyo is our younger sister. You must not act as you please."
"What do you take me for, Brother Chu-myeong? I was only asking what I was curious about, and then she suddenly fell on her own—"
"If that's not the case, then that's a relief, but lower your voice a bit more. They'll hear you all the way outside the gate."
As Yeo Il slowly rose, she repeated the name Namgung Hui-myeong had called.
Namgung Chu-myeong, the Namgung Clan's second son.
[Among the three, the one with the best reputation seems to be the second son, Namgung Chu-myeong. All the merchants praised him—upright, wise, kind, highly skilled… what else was it? Anyway, he seems like a very good person.]
Just as Chang-a had said, the first words Namgung Chu-myeong spoke to Yeo Il were not empty pleasantries.
"Are you all right, Soyo? …Wait, when did you start bleeding from your left arm?"
"Young Lady Soyo was attacked by assassins on the way here."
"What? Assassins? My heavens! Forgive me for a moment, Soyo."
Before the words had even finished, Namgung Chu-myeong lifted Yeo Il into his arms. Perhaps she was heavier than he expected; his lower body tilted slightly, but he corrected himself at once and hurried forward.
"Assassins! Thankfully, a physician has arrived at the clan. Let's treat you quickly before the wound worsens. Third—don't dawdle. Follow!"
Held in his arms, Yeo Il asked carefully,
"Thank you for your kindness. Are you… Namgung Chu-myeong?"
"Yes. I am your second elder brother, Namgung Chu-myeong. We met when you were very young, so I thought you might have forgotten, but you remember."
Not long after, Namgung Chu-myeong threw open a door as if he meant to break it and spoke to someone inside.
"Elder Brother! Did you hear? Soyo was attacked by assassins on the way here, and it looks like she needs treatment right away."
At that, a tall young man seated in a chair turned his head.
The one called so suddenly was very tall, his complexion bright, and his gaze clear. Gathering away a book, the young man nodded leisurely.
"Hm? Yes, of course I heard. Ha! I couldn't shake off last night's drunkenness, so I called for a physician—what perfectly timely judgment. But that lovely young woman is…"
"This is Namgung Soyo. Honestly, Elder Brother. Please stop drinking. They say you'll ruin your health."
"My body won't be ruined by something as trivial as alcohol, so don't worry."
Namgung Chu-myeong seated Yeo Il on a chair beside the round table. Beyond her closed, darkened sight, a strangely indifferent voice reached her.
"So you are Namgung Soyo, the Namgung Clan's fourth."
There was only one person in this family whom Namgung Chu-myeong would call "Elder Brother."
The Namgung Clan's Sogaju (Clan Heir)—the next clan leader—Namgung Jeok-myeong.
It was the moment the Namgung Clan's three brothers gathered in one place.
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